Ferrari team members put on a united front with Bridgestone

Bridgestone faced serious opposition in 2003 from rival Michelin, which supplies Ferrari's world title rivals Williams and McLaren.

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said: "Bridgestone have realised they are facing much stronger competition.

"In the last few months we've been spending a lot of time with them to make sure of our winter test programme," he added.

"It's a key element for next year and we are going to be busy on the tyre front. To me it's one-third car, one-third tyres, one-third driver. All those have to be at the highest level or else you won't succeed."

Ferrari say they are determined to extend their winning run into next year, in the aftermath of Michael Schumacher becoming the first man in history to win six drivers' titles.

Michael says he was empty and exhausted after the race and I think we all were Ross Brawn Ferrari technical director No let-up, Ferrari warn

Sporting director Jean Todt said: "We are all focused, we all love being together and probably one of the reasons why none of us want to go is because we feel that in a way we will be betraying part of the group and we feel that we are not yet ready for that.

"Ferrari is a great company, great team, probably more pressure, but more emotion and more reward to the effort that we make and that's the end of it."

However, Brawn admitted that the entire team, including Schumacher, felt drained at the end of a long and difficult season.

"Michael says he was empty and exhausted after the race and I think we all were," Brawn said.

"I was totally drained on the pit wall because you are involved and you see things evolve, you try to make decisions and when it finishes you just look at each other and say 'Did that really happen?'.

"It was a draining experience. I said to Jean 'We're getting too old for this!'

"We still enjoy winning races as I said after Indianapolis. Michael was choked after Indy and the guy's won 70 races or whatever, and there's still a passion there for all of us, and while the passion's there, we'll carry on doing it."